In honor of Kris Kross, remembering '90s rap

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

Updated 8:40 AM ET, Fri May 3, 2013

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Remembering '90s rap – They really did make you wanna "jump, jump." From their backwards clothes to their infectious hit single, "Jump," the rap duo Kris Kross signified the fun that was 90s rap. We look back in honor of the death of one of its members, Chris Kelly.

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Remembering '90s rap – Gang Starr was known for their prolific and profound lyrics. In 2010 founding member Guru, shown here in the foreground with DJ Doo Wop on the microphone in 2005, died of cancer.

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Remembering '90s rap – "Here's a little story all about how..." DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (who you may also know now as movie star Will Smith) kept us grooving with "Summertime."

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Remembering '90s rap – He may want to be known as "Snoop Lion" now, but back in the day Snoop Dogg played up the gangsta/pimp image.

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Remembering '90s rap – Madonna presented Dr. Dre the award for Best Rap Video during the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. As a producer he provided some of the hottest beats of the 90s.

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Remembering '90s rap – Remember when A Tribe Called Quest left their wallet in El Segundo or fell in love with "Bonita Applebum?"

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Remembering '90s rap – Da Brat was a label mate of Kris Kross on So So Def Records and became one of rap's top selling female artists.

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Remembering '90s rap – They didn't have a long career in the rap world, but Digable Planets' "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" in 1993 helped introduce a generation to a fusion of jazz and hip-hop.

Remembering '90s rap – Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth are best known for their hit "They Reminisce Over You" which paid tribute to the death of one of the members of Heavy D & The Boyz.

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Remembering '90s rap – Das EFX had heads bopping in the 1990s.

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Remembering '90s rap – Heavy D, right, fronted Heavy D & the Boyz and was much beloved prior to his death in 2011. Here he performs with singer Tyrese at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta.

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Remembering '90s rap – Two words for you: "Wild Thing." Tone Loc's hit peaked in 1989, but we were still kind of jamming to it in the 90s.

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Remembering '90s rap – The Michael Bivins produced group Another Bad Creation was viewed as an attempt to ride the success wave of kid rappers like Kris Kross. Their album "Coolin' at the Playground" was released in 1991.

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Remembering '90s rap – Christopher 'Kid' Reid and Christopher 'Play' Martin of Kid 'N Play had us all trying to do the kick step.

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Remembering '90s rap – New Jersey natives Naughty by Nature gave the world the ultimate in party jams and an ode to the genre with "Hip Hop Horray."